Qinghai Display Cabinet with Paintings d60 The colourful butterflies on the

The colourful butterflies on the doors are framed on the outside with flowers in gold

Certainly made by a highly skilled craftsman

Finished in warm elm this panel is designed to represent one of the 'Four Nobles'

The lovely carved lattice design of the low shelf harks back to earlier door and window panels in Chinese homes and is made in the same way - each individual piece of wood fitting into the next with mortise and tenon joints

The butterfly shaped handles on these lovely little bedside drawers are therefore a nice detail

Qinghai Display Cabinet with Paintings d60 The colourful butterflies on theQinghai, circa 1880 This large, black lacquer cabinet with an upper shelf is from Qinghai and the style and finish is distinctive of the region. In the majority of cases cabinets like this are taken by restoration workshops in China and cut down by removing the upper section to form a more practical style sideboard. This one has been left in its original state, with the upper space, including its carved outer frame, still intact. Originally the